Toy flying car



W. G. DASH ER TOY FLYING CAR May 14, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1, 1953 ATTORN EYS y 14, 957 w. G. DASHER 2,791,867

TOY FLYING C'AR Fi'led June 1, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR May 14, 1957 w. G. DASHER TOY FLYING CAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 1, 1953 IILVQEDNTOIQ ATTO RN EYS TOY FLYING CAR Wayne G. Dasher, Danbury, Conn.

Application June 1, 1953, Serial No. 358,725

1 Claim. (Cl. 4617) This invention relates to a toy flying car, and has for an object to provide a toy of this character comprising a toy airplane and a toy wheeled car in the form of a toy automobile, with simple and effective means for detachably securing them together so that they may be used either separately as difierent toys or easily secured together as a single combination toy, and either with the airplane considered as carrying the car or the car carrying the airplane.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the toy comprising the airplane and car connected together;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the top of the airplane disconnected from the car;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the car separated from the airplane;

Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation and a partial section of the airplane and car connected together showing one form of improved means for detachably securing them together; i

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, the retracting means for the wheels being omitted;

Fig. 6 is a perspective bottom view of the airplane separated from the car;

Fig. 7 is a partial side elevation and partial section of the airplane and car showing a modified form of the means for securing them together;

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of a portion of the airplane of Fig. 7 showing one portion of the securing means;

Fig. 9 is a partial side elevation and partial section of the plane and car showing another means of securing them together; 7

Fig. 10 is a transverse section substantially on line 1010 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a transverse vertical section showing means for retracting the landing wheels taken substantially on line 11-11 of Fig. 12, and

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section taken on substantially line 12-12 of Fig. 11. This retracting means for the wheels is not shown in Figs. 1 to 10 in order to simplify the drawings, and because it is shown clearly in Figs. 11 and 12.

In the type of device shown, the toy comprises an airplane member 1 of any suitable or desired type of plane and a wheeled ear member 2 resembling any desired type of motor car or automobile. They may be made of any suitable size and of any suitable material, preferably of molded plastic material so that they will be of light weight, and they may be of any desired colors.

The airplane member 1 comprises the usual fuselage nited States Patent 0 ice or body portion 3 with oppositely extending wings 4 at the opposite sides thereof, and any suitable type of tail assembly 5. On the under side of the fuselage or body is provided a longitudinally extending open bottomed recess, in the form shown comprising a hollow section 6 and a longitudinal slot 7 forming the open bottom of this recess, and the top of the recess over the slot may or may not be covered with a transversely curved wall, in addition to the top wall of the fuselage, although it is preferred to omit such wall to reduce weight. This recess is also preferably open at the front, as shown at 8 in Fig. 6, for assembly purposes with the car, as will presently be described. There may also be mounted on the under side of the wings landing wheels 9, and these may be carried by a suitable supporting bracket 10 pivoted at 11 in supporting lugs 12 mounted on the under side of the wings to permit the wheels to be swung between an upright or dropped landing position, or to a retracted position against the under surfaces of the wings. Means for shifting the wheels between these positions is shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Mounted within the recess 7 is one a member of the cooperating securing means for detachably securing the car and the airplane together. In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 6 this comprises a longitudinally extending pin, tube or rod 13 secured by any suitable means, such as cement or any other securing material 14 (Fig. 4) for mounting its inner, or in this case, the rear end, on the top of the rear wall 15 of the fuselage just back of the recess 7 so that the forward portion of this pin or bar is located in and extends forwardly in the recess. The forward portion of this pin or rod is longitudinally split as indicated at 16 to provide a resilient split pin to be frictionally received in an open-ended tube or sleeve 17 carried by the car 2 to detach-ably secure the airplane and car together.

The car 2 may be of any design or form desired, and

comprises the usual body member 18 carried on suitable wheels 19, and on top of the body is a longitudinally extending raised transversely curved rib 20 which is shaped and is located to fit and seat in the recess 7, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In the top wall of this rib is a longitudinally extending opening 21, and the tube 17 has a tapered rear end 22 located in or just below this opening, the forward end portion of the tube being secured to the inner or under side surface of the top wall of the rib 20 forwardly of the opening 21, and by any suitable securing means, such, for example, as suitable cement or the like. In assembling the two members compris ing the airplane 1 and the car 2, the plane may be slid forwardly onto and along the top of the car, with the rib 20 in the under open side of the recess 7, until they come to a nested position as indicated in Figs. 1, 4 and 5; or the car could be backed into this position under the airplane. During this movement the free end of the split pin or rod 13 is inserted in the open end 22 of the tube or sleeve 17 to the position shown in Fig. 4, thus securing the two members 1 and 2 securely together, with the longitudinal rib20 on the car snugly and firmly seated and fitted in the open under side of the recess 7. The child can now play with the toy as a combination flying car. The two members can be easily disconnected by merely shifting them longitudinally in the opposite direction so as to withdraw the pin or bar 13 from the sleeve 17 to thus permit use of the two members separately and independently. Thus this device really provides two different types of toys in one, and a third type by the combination of the two.

A modified form of securing means for detachably securing the ear member and the plane member together is shown in Fig. 7 and 8. In this case a depending spring hook member 24 is mounted in the fuselage of the airplane and in the open bottomed recess 7. In the form enema? shown it comprises a resilientor-springwire bentatsnbstantially its midsection at 25 into a loop with parallel sides 26 forming the curved open portion of the, hook, and the opposite free ends 27 are bent backwardly and secured to the top of the recess '7 by any' suitable means such as cement or the like 28. Thus 'thefree-endof this hook is in the lower part of the recess 7 and "preferably faces forwardly as indicated. To cooperate with this hook to detachably secure the car and the airplane members together the top of the rib 2001? the ear member is provided with a longitudinally extending opening '29 corresponding to the opening 21'previously'described, but in this case the tube 17 is omitted, and insIidingtheytwo members '1 and 2 together to cause the rib 20'to seat and fit in the recess'7 in the'fus'elage,the-'freeendiZS of-tbe hook passes into-this opening and under the top :wall of the rib 20. in front of the openingj29, as'shown, in Fig. 7, and the resilient action of the springhook' 24*pressing against the bottom surface f this wall effectively secures the two members l andZ-together. To detachth'e'two members, all that is necessary is to slide 'them'relatively in the opposite longitudinal direction to thus withdrawthe hook 24 through the opening 29.

Still another means of securing the airplane member 1 and the'car member 2 together is shown in Figs."9 and 10. In this case in the opening 21 in the top of-fthe rib 20 of the flying member is mounted a permanent magnet 30 of any suitable shape and secured to the ear member by any suitable means,-such,,for example, as cement31. It is preferably located, so that the'top of-this magnet is substantially level with the top of the rib 20. Mounted in the open bottom side of the recess 7 in the airplane member'is a block or. piece of magnetic material'32, such, for example, as soft .iron, and if the magnet 30: is in the form of a bar with a transverselyrounded top surface the underside of the member 32 maybe similarly curved, as'shown in Fig. 10, so that'the magnet will seat in this member when the two members 1 and 2 are assembled, as previously described. 'The-member'32 maybe mounted inthe fuselage at the open lower side of therecess 7 by any suitable securing means, such for example .as a cementing material 33. With this securingrneans the two members, the airplane memberv 1 and the carmember 2, may be of the same construction and shape as in the other forms and maybe assembledand disassembled .in the same manner, except in this case the magnet'30 and the soft iron or similar magnetic-material '32.' forms the cooperating securing means for detachablyholding the two memberstogether.

.As previously indicated, (the retracting means "for the landing wheels9is not shown iniiFigs. I tollQinorderto simplify the drawings, but is shown in additional Figs; 11 and 12. 'It is illustrated as used with theform of securing means between'the plane and ear, shown in Figs. 1 to 6, but is to be used with the other forms ,of securing means also. In the form shown a leverarm 34 is secured to the pivoted bracket 10 and projects intothe hollow wing 4. Pivotally mounted at opposite sidesof the opening is a pair of bell crank levers.35 pivotedat 36, one arm being connected to the arm 34 by a wire link 37 and the other arm projecting over theopening 7 and provided with a depending projection .or lug 3'8,depending into the opening sufiieientlyso that when the plane and ear are-slid together tomake the connection between them these depending lugs 38 will be engaged by the front edge or shoulder "'39 of the opening 21 in the curved rib 20 of the car, or the front edge of opening 29 in the form of Fig. 7, and will shift these lugs backwardly. This will swing the levers 35 on their pivots and through links 37 will shift '-lever:-rarms 34 outwardly and swing the brackets 10 and wheels 9 to the retracted position at the under sideofthe'wings, as "shown in full lines Fig. 11 and dottedlines Fig. 12. A light .tensioned spring 40 connects the levers 35 and tends to draw their free ends 41"together'to-swing-the brackets 10 and wheels 9 to the lowered orlanding positionras shown in the dotted lines of Fig. 11 and full lines Figs. 1, 2 and 6. Due to this spring 40 the wheels will be automatically shifted to the lowered or landing position as the car and plane are separated, thus removing the shoulder 39 from engagement witlr'the lugs "38.

From the' above it-will be understood'this-device forms a very attractiveand interesting toy in which the two main-elements-comprising the airplane member 1 and the wheeled ear member 2 may be used' separately and independ'ent'ly'as twoseparate toys, or they can be readily assembled to be used incombinationas a'fiying car, or the plane'considered' as a carrier for the car or the caras a carrier for the plane.

Having thus set -forth='the nature of my'invention, I claim:

A'toy of the character described, comprisinga toy airplane, a toy wheeled car, longitudinally-extending coopcrating guide means at'theunder'side of the airplane and top of the car interfitting .on relative longitudinal movement of the airplane and the'car to locate them in a given relative position, cooperating securing means 'on the airplane and-zear made effective by said relative movement to secure them together, landing wheels pivotally mounted-atfthe under side of the wings of theairplane to swing between an upright lowered position and-a raised or retractedpositionat the under side of the wings, levers pivotally mounted on the airplane connected one to each wheel' andeachprovided with a depending lug, a shoulder onthecarin position to engage said lugs and swing the levers'to'shift the wheels to the raised or retracted position by relative movement of the airplane and car in securing them-together, and spring means to shift the wheels :to'thelower or landing position as the airplane and car are given relative movement in the opposite (lireetion-tortalease them.

:ReterencesCited inthe file of'this patent UMTED STATES PATENTS 2,215,003 Johnson -Sept. 17, 1940 2,297,712 McCoy Oct. 6, 1942 2,368,258 Couse et .al. Ian. 30, 1945 ..2,-373,467 .Frakes. Apr. 10, 1945 2,533,925 Fulton Dec. 12, 1950 2,607,157 ,Smith Aug. 19, 1952 2,609,638 Lindenmeyer Sept. 9, 1952 2,645,878 Johnson July 21,1953 2,675,916 .Gerardine Apr. 20, 1954 2,724,211 Bloom Nov. 22, 1955 

